Inside US strike on Iran: Deceptive B-2 maneuvers, Tomahawks, and 14 bombs dropped
Photo: A B-2 strategic bomber drops a GBU-57 bomb (US Air Force)
The United States confirmed that the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were carried out with GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) super-heavy anti-bunker bombs, which had never been used in real combat before. According to preliminary estimates, all three attacked facilities were severely damaged, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said during a briefing on June 22.
The United States confirmed that the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were carried out with GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) super-heavy anti-bunker bombs, which had never been used in real combat before. According to preliminary estimates, all three attacked facilities were severely damaged, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said during a briefing on June 22.
The operation to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities was called Midnight Hammer, Caine said. To cover it up, an operation of deception was conducted.
On June 20, a squadron of B-2 bombers took off from the United States. Part of the squadron flew toward the Pacific Ocean to confuse Iranian intelligence, while the seven planes that were supposed to carry out the strike secretly headed toward the Middle East.
Caine said this was planned and executed across multiple domains and theaters of war with coordination that reflects our ability to project power globally with speed and precision at the time and place of America's choosing.
To strike Iran, the US used:
- 14 anti-bunker bombs from B-2 bombers;
- over 20 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched by a US Navy nuclear submarine;
- many other precision weapons.
In total, the United States used 75 weapons during the operation, and 125 aircraft provided the strike.
Iran's nuclear program facilities in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordo were hit. The latter received at least 12 hits with anti-bunker bombs. US Defense Secretary Hegseth expressed expectations that the operation was successful.
"The battle damage assessment is ongoing, but our initial assessment as the chairman said is that all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike, and had the desired effect. Which means effectively in Fordow, which was the primary target here, we believe we achieved destruction of capabilities there," the Defense Secretary said.
How US hit invulnerable Fordow plant
The US used the GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) anti-bunker bomb to strike the Iranian uranium enrichment plant in Fordow. It is designed specifically to destroy facilities located deep underground. The GBU-57 has never been used in real combat before.
- Length: 6.2 meters.
- Diameter: 0.8 meters.
- Weight: 12,300 - 13,600 kg (~30,000 lbs)
- Explosive weight: 2.42 tons (a mixture of AFX-757 and PBXN-114 explosives).
- Penetration: up to 60 meters of rock or up to 19 meters of reinforced concrete.
- Carrier: B-2 Spirit strategic bomber and B-21 Raider advanced strategic bomber.
US strike on Iran
On the night of June 22, the United States struck Iran's nuclear facilities. According to Donald Trump, Iran's nuclear program has been destroyed; Tehran denies this and is preparing a response.
The United States has already stated that the strikes on Iran were one-time. They do not provide for a change in the Iranian ayatollah regime. However, after the US strikes, Iran said that it did not rule out withdrawal from the nuclear deal because diplomacy had not protected the country. Tehran also does not rule out blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which would significantly raise world oil prices.
